Harry Potter and the Next Step Forward
by IngoStarxxx
Summary: Six months after the destruction of Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger continue their lives as talented wizards and witch as they face new dangers and continue to explore a magical world.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - The Future**

The Burrow sat in perfect sunshine. There were birds singing in the nearby trees, and many different colours and types of butterflies that flew past the windows of the tall slanting building. At that moment however no one was there to see through the dusty window, as they were all outside bathing in the gorgeous sunshine. The ginger heads of the Weasley family could be seen from miles around. Mrs Weasley was setting the table with potato salad and meat dishes. Mr Weasley was talking to Percy and Charlie about the Ministry and who would be the next Minister of Magic. Bill and Fleur were talking in whispers and Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were lying in the sunshine laughing at George as he told various jokes. He had never been the same since Fred's death but recently he had found himself joining in with the family. For a couple of months he had not spoken a word to anyone, and during the funeral he had had a nervous breakdown and had to be taken to an isolated ward in St. Mungo's hospital to fix his troubled mind. The Weasley family still had not got over it, but what family ever gets over the death of a loved one. George had been in touch with Lee Jordan a school friend who now helped George run the joke shop, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Lee was at that moment duelling with George, who laughed as he missed and hit a garden gnome hiding in a gorse bush. It squealed and ran out, it's face covered with green blotches that painfully flapped.

"Nice Bat Bogey Hex!" Shouted Lee to George who now had a bright red face, and had tears running down his cheeks. "It was nearly as good as one of Ginny's!" This sent George into another fit of laughter, which ceased for a second as Ginny threw a handful of mud which hit him directly in the face. He looked at her in astonishment, then the birds were sent fleeing into the sky as everybody from Mrs Weasley to Charlie laughed out loud, which didn't cease for five minutes, and even then Mrs Weasley was still smiling. She had changed remarkably since the death of one of her sons. Losing Fred had shown her what it was like to lose someone you loved, and she realised that life was too short to moan and stop her children doing what they wanted. She was there when they needed her but she would stand back and let them make their own choices.

"Dinner's out!" Mrs Weasley called and the whole group of them piled on in, George sitting as close to the two ton weight roast chicken. "And George, if you even so much as breath on that chicken, I will personally make sure that you will never have children. And it will be excruciatingly painful." She added as a last minute thing.

"Ouch!!", cried George who had pushed himself away from the table so fast he had fallen backwards off his seat.

"Now dears," Mrs Weasley pruned as she tried, without success, to flatten down the back of Harry's hair. "Dig in." And she glared at George as she walked round the table, George ducked as she passed him waiting for a smack, and made her way to a seat next to her husband.

Ron started piling his plate up, till he had a mountain of food sitting in front, and then groaning happily started to eat. Hermione watched him in disgust, some things never changed, and then started up a lengthy conversation with Ginny about the new Minister of Magic which seemed to be a subject that popped up a lot at dinner. Mr Weasley, Bill and Charlie heard the conversation and started to engage with Hermione who was voicing her opinion on the last couple of Minister's they had had.

"Well, Fudge was pretty useless," she began, "and then Scrimgeour was just horrible. Trying to force Harry into supporting the Ministry when they weren't doing anything."

"Ahh, but Hermione, those were desperate times..." Mr Weasley started and soon enough Hermione and Mr Weasley were having a heated discussion that would turn into an argument unless Mr Weasley gave in, which he shortly did, and Hermione smiled with glory. Then she and anyone who would listen started to talk about Gringotts and Azkaban, where the Goblins and the Dementors were both giving trouble.

Down at Harry's end of the table however nothing much was happening. He was trying to eat but was very conscious of the heat that was radiating from Ginny. They had not had a proper conversation since the end of Lord Voldemort and he knew she was finding it difficult to hold in her emotions about him. She had been talking to Hermione about how confused she was, and of course Hermione had told him, threatening him that if he told Ginny about what she had said, she would make sure he hurt for a long time.

Ginny shifted in her seat as she cut a piece of chicken in half. She was quietly chewing away, not talking to anybody just listening to the odd sentence or two from conversations that floated down their way. Harry watched her absent-mindedly, and she suddenly looked up. They locked eyes for a few minutes until a couple of wolf whistles could be heard from the other end of the table. Lee and George were watching them and when Harry and Ginny looked their way they started making kissy noises and hugging each other in a vigorous way. Ginny went as red as her sizzling hair and Harry gave a quick glance at Mrs Weasley. She was looking between George and Lee, and Harry and Ginny. Harry started to eat the rest of the potato salad on his plate, noting that Mrs Weasley's eyes were still on him, as if glued with interest on his now tomato like face. Harry was still blushing into his food when he heard he swish of a cloak nearby. He looked up and saw Kinsley Shacklebolt approaching the gate, with a bright and cheery look on his face.

"Evening Arthur, Molly. I hope I'm not interrupting."

"No not at all Kinsley." Molly said, "Would you like to sit down and join us?"

"Perhaps," he answered hungrily looking at the food, "thank you. But first I must ask you to let me speak to some of your company in private." He said, scouring the table and resting on Harry, Hermione and Ron at the end of the table. The three in question stood up and looking confused waited for the temporary Minister of Magic to lead them away. Then he walked off into the garden away from anxious stares and aggravating questions about to be fired at him by the remaining Weasleys.

When far enough into the wild back yard so as they could not be overheard, Kinsley Shacklebolt turned around and faced the three, now quite worried, teenagers.

"Now, you three didn't complete your Newts last year because of this important mission Dumbledore left you. And I know that if you had the choice you would like to be able to have a chance at getting a good job now." He paused and watched the different expressions on the three faces that were in front of him. Harry looked quite calm and was just waiting for him to carry on. Ron the other hand looked as if he could smell something quite revolting, with his nose all wrinkled up. Hermione, however, was standing frozen, hanging on every word Kinsley said with a look of anticipation on her face, as if waiting for something she deeply longed for.

"There are many people who didn't manage to complete a proper set of examinations, whom I have already talked to. Anyway getting to the point of things. The Ministry thinks that over the last year all students who were doing exams should have a second chance. With the Death Eaters taking over the school, the students were only taught appalling magic, which not many witches and wizards even know about. The school has decided that anyone who didn't manage to do the exams can go to extra classes that will be held at the school in free classrooms. If you do choose to do this you will stay in moveable tents that will be placed in the grounds. You will not have to stay every day for there will be days when no classes will be held for the extra pupils. But...it is an option." He stopped, breathing heavily and looking very excited.

"My dear boy," he began looking directly at Harry, who was stunned to silence, "it would be a waste for you not to complete your exams. You would be great at anything you choose to do. And I believe that 'anything' is an auror path?"

Harry nodded but already he had decided. He knew what he wanted to be and he had to finish his exams to become an auror. He was very grateful that there was even a chance that he could complete his education.

"Ron," Kinsley started again, turning to face Ron who looked slightly horrified at the thought of doing more work. "surely you want to finish your education. I know you want to become an auror." Ron looked at Kinsley as if to say, 'how do you know?'

"Dumbledore. He told me." Ron looked very shocked at this. "He spoke very highly of you."

"Really?" Ron seemed very proud suddenly. "Well, I'll do it."

"Me too." Voiced Harry, who knew that this was going to be the best chance he would get.

"I don't know." This time everyone present looked shocked as they turned round to see Hermione looking very unsure. Harry had thought there had been no point in asking her. That she would jump at the chance. "I mean," she began again, "I don't know what I want to do. So what's the point in wasting a year in something I might not use?"

"Hermione," Ron cried, "have you gone completely batty? What the hell are you talking about? Of course you'll use it. Anyway you do know what you want to be. You shut up, last year about how you would never get the chance to get a choice on what you wanted to do!"

Hermione looked startled, and wasn't sure how to answer this. "Well, I have always wanted to...to...well..."

"Yes?" Kinsley asked, urging her on.

"I've always thought it would be quite cool to work in the Department of Mysteries."

And then she couldn't stop herself. She burst into a long explanation of why she wanted to work in the Ministry. And they all started to walk back to the table, Kinsley being bombarded by questions, Hermione now looking thoroughly interested and excited and Ron and Harry exchanging grins as they watched their friend flourish under the idea of going back to school.

**_Please Review. I'v got some great ideas for this story x._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Quidditch**

The sunshine the next day seemed even brighter due to the fact that Harry knew he was going to be able to fulfil his dream. And not only that, he was going back to Hogwarts. One thing he had never thought would happen.

He awoke to the sound of the ghoul banging about upstairs but that did not wipe the big smile off his face which was growing bigger with every waking moment. He knew that Ron was still fast asleep due to the continuous loud rumbles coming from across the room. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, he got out of bed and pulled his clothes on as quickly as possible. He walked over to the dust-covered window and looked out over the green fields and looked up into the pale blue sky which hung over the mountains, pressing the rocky tips downwards towards the flat fields of golden corn that surrounded them.

Far in the distance he saw three spots flying towards the Burrow with little speed. He squinted into the rising sun and saw three owls, two holding up the other one which was strung limply between them, hanging loosely. He heard a crash and a bang from downstairs and without pausing to explain to an awakened Ron, who was now muttering and looking sleepy eyed at Harry, he rushed to the door pulled it open and without looking back at Ron who cried out to Harry, flew down the stairs into the kitchen. Mrs Weasley was bending down, picking up a couple of pans that had fallen to the floor, her wand lying on the table forgotten.

"Sorry Harry, did I wake you?" Her voice sounded steady and normal but she didn't look at him.

"No Mrs Weasley, I was already awake." He hurried to help her to her feet, as she tried to pull herself up, her arms laden with pots and pans. She thanked him and then continued to stare out of the window at the approaching specks in the sky. Harry looked out himself and saw them, they had got nearer since he had seen them last, and he suddenly felt very impatient, he wanted to know what was in those letters that the owls were holding underneath them. It was very unlike him, he was rather anxious, but whatever the letters contained was cleared out of his head as he heard footsteps on the stairs, he turned round and saw Mr Weasley walk down holding a small bundle in his arms, that he carried with care, and as he came closer, Harry saw it move. He looked at Mr Weasley's face to see a hint of what hid in the bundle reflected in his expression, but nothing was revealed. Mrs and Mr Weasley looked at each other for a split second and then she carried on, as though no one had entered the room. Harry looked back at Mr Weasley and realised that he was smiling, rather cautiously, at Harry.

"Mr Weasley," he began, talking slowly and quietly as if he was sitting by someone's death bed, "what is that?" And he pointed slightly at the bundle of material that seemed to be stirring now in Mr Weasley's arms. But before anyone could answer it gave a small cough, and Harry, even though he didn't know whose it was, knew what it was.

"A baby?" Harry hadn't been expecting this. "But whose is it?" Silence followed but no one stopped him as Harry stepped towards the now wide awake baby that lay looking up at the ceiling, where an assortment of pans and ingredients stood on unstable shelves. As Harry approached he noticed that the baby had a slightly odd appearance and he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Until he noticed that it had purple hair. But as he watched the hair changed. It was growing lighter and lighter and it's skin was growing darker and darker. Then after a few minutes it could have been Kinsley Shacklebolt's child but with bright blond hair.

"Teddy. Teddy Lupin." Mr Weasley answered Harry's confused look. Harry's heart stopped. But the quiet was interrupted again by Mr Weasley. "Your Godson."

"Now Arthur!" Mrs Weasley shrieked.

"You can't suppress it Molly, Harry already knows and he has a right to decide himself." And they started to argue. Harry turned away from Teddy and walked directly out of the front door. The three owls had reached the garden but before Harry could reach out and take the letters, he heard a great massive grunt, and opening his eyes he found himself in Ron's room surrounded by the usual black and yellow colours of Ron's favourite Quidditch team the Chudley Cannons. But he just lay in his bed, sweat matted to his hair and clinging to his forehead. That dream had seemed so real. And yet it hadn't been. Well, one thing was for sure, dream or not, it had reminded him of someone he hadn't thought about. Another boy who had lost his parents to the hands of Voldemort when he was very young. And Harry lay wondering what he could do to help this little boy. To help Teddy as Dumbledore and Sirius and even Mr and Mrs Weasley had helped him. And he wondered where the little boy was now. And as he lay there panting, he wondered what colour Teddy's hair was this time.

***

George snorted into his food as Ron launched off his seat onto the floor.

"I was only joking," he choked as he tried to stop his stomach muscles from bursting, due the amount of laughing he had done. "I didn't really put Poison Ivy on your seat." He answered as Ron heaved himself back onto his chair and the others shrieked with laughter. "Nah," George whispered rather loudly to Harry, "I put it in his pants." And Ron fell off his seat again shouting swears at him, that appalled Mrs Weasley and earned him a smack over the head as she aimed a pan at him.

"Don't you ever let me hear you say such disgusting things in my house again Ronald Weasley." She shouted alarmingly.

"I wont," he bawled, then carried on in a whisper to Harry, "let you hear."

The morning carried on in a pleasant mood, except from with Mrs Weasley who kept giving Ron horrible looks whenever she saw him. It was later on in the afternoon that everyone decided to play a game of Quidditch. They grabbed their brooms and made their way to a sheltered area, hidden behind some trees where the Weasleys always played. It was hidden so as to make sure that no muggles spotted young men flying round on sticks, throwing rocks about and thought they had gone insane. Well, in fact, on this specific day it was really for the muggles' safety, as Hermione was awful at throwing the Quaffle.

"I'm sorry!" She shrieked as her badly aimed throw hit Ron squarely in the stomach.

"I'm fine!" He called as she flew straight to him. She reached him and threw her arms round his neck which sent them both spiralling down to the ground, where they surfaced with Hermione looking very embarrassed. Ron however looked very pleased with himself who had his arm securely locked round her waist and was complaining to much sympathy from Hermione about how much he was hurting. His arm however was withdrawn from round Hermione so fast it was unbelievable when Mr Weasley came round the corner.

"Wow Ron!" Shouted George who yet again had burst into fits of laughter. "I didn't know you could move so fast!" Ron glared at him as he and Hermione remounted their brooms and kicked off from the ground. Harry looked at Ginny, who had been laughing as well, and she grinned at him which made him feel light as a feather, as Mr Weasley blew a rusty, old whistle he had, hung round his neck. Harry looked at Bill, Charlie and George who were hovering beside him.

"He thinks we cheat." George answered him before he could ask.

"No," began Charlie, "he thinks _you_ cheat George."

"Wrong actually." George answered with a small grin on his face. "He knows I cheat." And with that everyone dispersed into their positions, ready for Mr Weasley to blow his whistle. Lee Jordan quickly grabbed his Keeper's glove and soared over to the three posts at one end of the field. There were to be no Seekers for they didn't have a snitch as George had broken one of it's wings off on the way up to the pitch. So the teams were to be as follows:

On one side, Lee was to be a Keeper, George a Beater, and Hermione and Bill were to be Chasers. On the other side, Ron was the Keeper, Charlie was going to be a beater and Ginny and Harry were going to be Chasers. It was after the first ten minutes that they realised an extraordinary thing. Hermione was good. She was better than good, for some unknown reason she had scored more than five goals and her team was winning by miles. Nobody could believe it as she swept gracefully past everyone and scored another fantastic goal, which left Ron feeling very disgruntled. After they had stopped, when she was asked about it, she just smiled but refused to explain. It was when she was out of earshot that Ginny told everyone about how she had got so good.

"She's been practising. She didn't like the fact that all three of us could play but she couldn't. So she spent weeks practising with me before you came over." She told Harry. He had spent two weeks with Bill and Fleur at Shell Cottage, because they had both insisted on him staying there for a while.

"So that's what you two were doing." George interrupted Harry's thoughts. " Ron thought you two were plotting against him, didn't you Ron!" He ducked as Ron chucked the Quaffle at his head and everyone laughed again. It had been a great day and everyone was enjoying a nice stew with a lump of bread when the front door banged open, and everyone looked round to see Percy standing at the door, wet through due the downpour that had come over so quickly. The laughter and happiness died, as they saw the expression on Percy's face.

"Kinsley Shacklebolt is dead."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - A Death**

Everyone stared open mouthed at Percy. The news just wouldn't sink in. Harry felt his heart start to beat faster as the initial shock wore off. Kinsley couldn't be dead. There was no reason for him to be. Voldemort was gone, so why would anyone perish now. Maybe he had gone off peacefully and not as Harry imagined, but then why would Percy be standing in front of them with such a look of displeasure on his face?

"What happened?" Harry broke the silence. Everyone jumped, they had forgotten anyone else apart from themselves was present in the room. Harry himself was shocked at how strong his voice had been, he hadn't thought he would be able to make a sound never mind string words together. For a minute Percy was silent. His tongue seemed to be tied, and he was having problems even opening his mouth.

"He was found in his office, whoever it was used the killing curse." He spoke as fast as he possibly could, thinking perhaps that if he said it quickly it would not sound as bad.

It was complete silence that met this statement, and no one looked as if they wanted to speak again as Percy made his way over to his mother and put his arms around her neck as she sobbed quietly into him. Harry saw Hermione grab Ron's hand and they looked at each other. He felt as though he was interrupting a quiet moment between them when he realised that they were whispering, and it wasn't love-sick things that they were whispering either, he could tell. They had suspected something, he realised as he lip-read. But he knew that he wouldn't know what they were saying until later on that night, Mrs Weasley was silently ushering them into the sitting room, as Mr Weasley and Percy grabbed their coats, ran out to the garden gate and disapperated, they had gone to the Ministry. Harry expected that the death of Kinsley would have caused pandemonium.

As the darkness outside pressed in against the windows, the wind shaking the spiders sheltering in the cobwebs, the Weasley family, Harry and Hermione sat in an uncomfortable silence, none able to break it, some crying and others just staring into the fire. But the silence was broken when Mr Weasley and Percy arrived back from the Ministry. They had departed to their work place because of the devastation that Kinsley's death had left behind. But when they returned they both had graver faces, growing ever closer to despair.

"What is it Arthur, what's happened? Percy?" Mrs Weasley sounded slightly distraught and the others knew exactly how she was feeling. Mr Weasley paused for a second, but they no longer cared about being careful, or treading water, so he just came out with it.

"Lucius Malfoy got to the Ministry first. He was nominated to be the next temporary Minister." There were loud cries at this, and shouts of anger.

"He will enforce chaos on the Wizarding world, and there's nothing I can do." Mr Weasley sat down wearily in the chair next to the dull fire and put his head in his hands.

"But Arthur," whispered Molly Weasley quietly, "he might not. They didn't fight in the battle against "him" after all did they? They became mutual when it mattered."

"Molly my dear," and Mr Weasley raised his head and looked at his troubled wife, "these are the Malfoys we are talking about."

The next day Harry awoke to a dull morning. He turned over onto his stomach and peered out of the window. The weather seemed to be showing his feelings by shrouding The Burrow in dark, stormy clouds. They made the sky grey and dull and seemed to depress Harry even more as he moaned at the thought of Lucius Malfoy controlling the magical ministry. He realised that Ron was not making loud grunts as he usually did in his sleep, and when he turned round he noticed that Ron was lying awake, his eyes wide open and he looked very pale. Harry didn't think that Ron had slept much either because as he looked he noticed dark rings under his eyes. Harry thought of all the hours he had spent lying awake. After everything that had happened. He was living at the Weasley's, he was going back to Hogwarts. Now this. What could he do? How could he stop evil spreading thick across the country? How could he stop Malfoy?

Ron slowly rolled off his bed onto the floor, this was usual routine for him he could never be bothered to actually get up, and slowly pulled himself to his feet. Smiling weakly at Harry he started to dig about looking for clean clothes. Harry pulled the duvet off himself and got out of the comfy warm bed he would gladly have stayed in for the rest of the day, and started to pull his clothes on. It was when they heard the front door bang shut that they began to race each other to the door, Ron still pulling on a pair of jeans and Harry having trouble putting his socks on as he hopped out of the doorway towards the stairs. Ron tried to run down the steps, and as he passed Harry he obviously thought he had beaten him as he bore a slightly amused expression. However he didn't look very happy as he saw Harry appear at the bottom of the long staircase after apparating. Ron obviously hadn't thought of that, but as he was no good at it he decided to safely make his way down muggle style, so Harry left him to it as he walked over to the kitchen door and pulled it open. There, as expected, sat Mr Weasley helping himself to egg and bacon and looking happier that he had done the night before. Hermione and Ginny were laughing as Crookshanks ran across the room chasing a fallen grape that Ginny had thrown for him to catch. Mrs Weasley was complaining that Mr Weasley was getting too thin due to stress, and George and Lee were sitting at the other end of the room in deep discussion, ignoring the occasional dirty look that they received from Mrs Weasley.

"What's going on?" Harry asked and everyone turned to see him in the doorway, looking slightly confused at the sudden change in mood, no one was even frowning, it was weird.

"Good news Harry!" Mr Weasley smiled up at him. "Our dear old friend Lucius Malfoy has been told that he is not capable of becoming temporary Minister of Magic!" Mr Weasley grinned as he said the words "not capable" but he said nothing further on the matter of the Malfoy's disgrace.

"What do you mean? Why?" Harry entered the room shocked at the news that was coming to his ears.

"The fellow Ministry officials told him that they _would_ in due course offer him the position, but for now they were going to appoint another person," Mr Weasley grinned at Harry as he said the next bit, "apparently they just couldn't trust him after what happened with He Who Must Not Be Named."

Harry nearly jumped for joy at the news, however the words "in due course offer him the position" still rang in his brain, but he dismissed them as Ron came panting through the door.

"What have I missed?" He was bright red in the face and at the sound of his voice George and Lee separated and George turned to Ron.

"Everything Ron. It's a shame your not wanted. Even mum and dad admit it, they wanted a girl. You know, easy to scare, quite weak," he nodded as he thought of anything else, then he noticed Ginny and Hermione leave their chairs, " _some of the time, quite weak SOME OF THE TIME!" _He quickly added before any of the females in the room could hit him._ "_However, you come pretty close to that description. Maybe I'll start calling you Rona and I'll get Ginny and Hermione to put pigtails in your hair." And with that he got up and started dancing around the room waving his arms and curtseying to Mrs Weasley, who whacked him round the head with a newspaper. He soon sat down looking very disgruntled and began another hushed up, lengthy discussion with Lee, as Ron went to sit with Hermione and Ginny to find out what he had missed.

The rest of the morning went rather smoothly, it was even better when Percy arrived, a large smile plastered onto his round face.

"Percy," Mrs Weasley threw her arms round his neck, "how's Penelope?" She always asked this. Since Percy and Penelope Clearwater had moved in together she had waited for an engagement and still it hadn't come.

"She's fine mum. She sent these." Percy handed over a basket and Mrs Weasley opened it up. Inside were an assortment of flowers ranging from purple and pink sweet peas to red and white roses.

"Oh!" Mrs Weasley gasped. "Are these all grown in your front garden?" She looked up at Percy in astonishment.

"Yes," he smiled looking very smug, "when you wake up that's all you can smell, those and the fusias, lilies, petunias and many others that I can't even begin to explain. But anyway I'm not here for that." He turned round to face Mr Weasley and he shone with happiness. "I was so proud to hear the news I had to come over straight away."

"News?" Mr Weasley answered looking slightly confused but also very interested.

"Has Hermit not delivered the post yet?" Hermit was the owl that Hermione had bought the Weasleys. She had finally decided enough was enough when their other owl Errol had flown into the window again, and had fallen into a pan of soup. Ron had managed to catch him before any serious damage had been caused but Hermione had felt so sorry for the poor, decrepit animal that she had immediately gone to Diagon Alley and bought another one. A rather stupid barn owl that kept getting lost.

"No," Mr Weasley answered, "he hasn't, why?"

"This is great," Percy said to himself, he was bouncing on the balls of his feet, "guess who got the position for the temporary Minister of Magic!"

Everyone waited patiently, Percy didn't seem to be able to hold it in much longer so Harry saved him the bother. "Who?"

Percy looked at him then looking back at Mr Weasley said one word that changed the middle-aged man's life for ever. "Dad!"


End file.
